Electric governor



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. B. PARKHURST.

ELECTRIC GOVERNOR.

No. 286,841. Patented Oct. 16, 1883.

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4 Sheets-sheet 3.

(No Model.)

B. B. PARKHURST.

ELECTRIC GOVERNOR.

No. 286,841. Patented Oct. 16, 1883.

I n/v e ni /1;" 5. Q QMQAMA W (No Model.) E B. PARKHURST. 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

ELECTRIC GOVERNOR No. 286,841. 7 Patented Oct. 16, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDXVARD B. PARKHUEST, OF \VOBURH, ASSIGXOE TO HIMSELF AND ALBERT L. PAECELLE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,841, dated October 16, 1853.

Application filed May 29,1893.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. PARKIIURST, of XVoburn, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Electric Governors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved governor adapted to be operated by the variations of the strength of an electric current generated by a dynamoelectric ma chine, and to regulate the admission of steam to the engine which impcls said electric machine or generator.

The invention is intended, principally, for

use in connection with engines which operate dynamo-electric machines for electric lighting; and it consists, as a whole, in the combination of a steanrengine, a dynamo-electric machine or generator operated by said engine, a solenoid or equivalent device in an electric circuit which includes the generator, and a movable part the position of which varies with the strength of the current, and intermediate mechanism connecting said movable part with the valve or valves governing the supply of steam to the cylinder of the engine, whereby the admission of steam is governed by the strength of the current.

The invention consists, also, in certain details of construction and combination of parts, all of which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part 01" this specification, Figure 1 represents a plan view of one form of a steam-engine having myimproved governor. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged section on line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of another form of engine to which my improved governor is applicable. Fig. & represents a longitudinal section. of a portion of the steam chest and cylinder shown in Fig. 3. Fig. represents a sectional view of the governor applied to a governor-valve.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

My improved governor is composed of a solenoid or other equivalent eleetri cal device having a fixed helix, (1, connected in an electric circuit with a dynamoelectric machine or generator, and a movable core or plunger, Z), adapted to be raised in the coil a by an in- (No model.)

I crease in the strength of the current, and depressed as the current weakens. An electromagnet and its armature may be adapted for use in connection with devices, substantially as hereinafter described, as an equivalent for the solenoid, the armature of the magnet tale ing the place of the plunger I).

To enable the variations in the vertical position of the coreb to act on the valves of the engine, I'provide suitable intermediate mechanism positively connecting said core or plunger with the valves. The details of said mechanism will of course varyin different engines.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the governor is shown in connection with an engine having puppet-valves, I employ as the connectingmechanisma rock-shaft, c,journaled in fixed bearings, and provided with an arm, 0', engaged with lugs e on a collar, 7', secured to the core I), and two upwardly-proiecting arms, f, to which are pivoted shouldered slides 9, one for each of the inductioirvalves 71. These slides are interposed between the stems 7b of said valves and the rotating cams '2', which intermittently raise said stems, and are provided with shoulders g, which offset the lower edges of said slides, making said edges lower between the shoulders 1 and the outerends of the slides than between said shoulders and the pivoted 8o ends. The cams i, in rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, bear against the slides t and tilt said slides upwardly against the valve-stems h, thereby lifting the valves 71- and holding them until the cams i pass off from 8 5 the offset portions of the slides at the shoulders y, when the slides are released and fall with the valves to the position shown in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that the longitudinal position of the slides g varies with the vertical position of the core I). \Vhen said core rises, the slides are moved so as to bring the shoulders g nearer the point where the cams first act on said slides, and thus reduce the length of the offset portions of the slides on which the cams act. The period during which the cams raise the-slides and valves is thus decreased, and the quantity of steam admitted to the cylinder is diminished. On the other hand,when

the opposite direction, more of the offiset portions of the slides are presented to the cams,

the core Z) is depressed,the slides are moved in I 'the cams t to the valve-stems; hence the slides 1 are vibrated by the cams without operating the valves h, and the engine is deprived of steam.

The rock-shaft may be provided with an arm, 0", having an adjustable weight, 0 to adjust the resistance of said lever to the core of the solenoid. The rock-shaft may also have an arm, c", connected'by a spring, 0 with a fi xed object, for the same purpose as the weight 0' upon a threaded portion of the core 5, said core being thus rendered vertically adjustable to adapt the core to the strength of the current.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of a Corliss engine having four steam-valves oscillated by a connection with a wrist-plate journaled on a shaft at the side of the cylinder, and vibrated by a lever and connecting-rods operated by the movement of the fly-Wheel eccentric. The valves are arranged soas tobe cut-off at any required part of the stroke by rods 7a, which cause the connection between the wrist-plate and the valve-stems to be completed and released when the rods are brought into action by or freed from the action of the governor, which merely performs the function of connecting and disconnecting the levers which work the valves without exerting any force in opening and closing them. In this case the core b of the solenoid is engaged with one arm of a three-armed lever, Z, and the rods k k are pivoted to the other two arms of said lever. The lever is oscilated by the upward and downward movements of the core b, and its oscillating movements are imparted to the valves,

which are operated in the same manner as by the ball-governor ordinarily used with this form of engine. The rods is k are connected to pivoted levers Z", to which are pivoted rods 1 having slots 1, receiving studs 011 the usual oscillating dogs, k k, which engage with the dogs 7c", attached to the valve-stems, and operate the valves in the usual manner. These parts have the usual form, with the exception of the slots Z, which are widened at the outer ends of the rods in which they are made, so as to form shoulders 1 which are intended for use only as a means for stopping the engine in case of accident, such as the breakage of the'electric circuit. In such case the core 1) falls so far that the shoulders Z engage with the studs on the dogs k, and displace and hold said dogs so that they will not engage with and operate the dogs is and the valves 12. Each The collar 9' is preferably a nut screwed valve therefore is closed by the usualspring or dash-pot connection, and the engine is stopped.

Fig. 5 shows the core I) engaged with a lever, m, which is attached directly to an oscillating governor-valve, n, in a steam-pipe, 0 0, said valve having ports 'n 'n" registering with ports 0 o in the valve-casing. This form of valve and governor is applicable to a slidevalve engine.

It will be seen that in any of the forms shown the core or movable part b is connected with the steam-valves, so as to operate them positively and certainly.

The invention is, as before stated, particularly adapted for use in connection with engines for electric lighting. It is obvious, however, that the invention is not limited to the use described, but may be applied to engines for other purposes, a small dynamo-machine or other electric generator being employed to furnish a sufficient current to actuate the core b.- I

I claim 1. In combination, an engine, a dynamo, or other electrical generator operated by said e11- gine, a solenoid in the electrical circuit which includes the generator, a core which varies in position with the strength of the current, and adjustable mechanism, substantially as described, which connects said core to a lever which controls thevalveof the engine, all substantially as described.

2. The combination, with an engine having a series of puppet-valves and rotating cams operating said valves, of shouldered slides interposed between said cams and the stems of the valves, a dynamo-electric machine or generator operated by said engine, a solenoid connected in the circuit with said generator, and a connection between the core of the solenoid and the said shouldered slides, whereby the latter are adjusted by the movements of the former and caused to regulate the admission of steam, as set forth.

3. In an electric governor, a solenoid having on its core or movable portion a screwthreaded surface, combined with a nut engaged with said threaded surface, and a pivoted lever engaged with said nut and connected with the cut-ofi' mechanism of an engine, as set forth.

4. In an electric governor, the combination stated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 24th day of May, 1883.

EDWARP B. PARKHURST.

Witnesses:

A. L. PAROELT E, r O. F. BROWN. 

